EFFECT OF NATURAL AND CHEMICAL PRODUCTS ON Pratylenchus brachyurus POPULATION IN SUGARCANE

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of natural and chemical products on Pratylenchus brachyurus population in sugarcane crop, cv. RB 835486.This study was conducted at ";Escola de Agronomia e Engenharia de Alimentos"; of ";Universidade Federal de Goiás";, in Goiânia, and at experimental fields of ";Usina Jalles Machado S/A";, in Goianésia, Goiás State, Brazil. The experimental design was randomized blocks, in a 5 x 2 factorial scheme, with five replications. The ten treatments were the arrangement of the nematicide abamectim 0.5 L.ha-1, abamectim 1.0 L.ha-1, neem oil, 2.0 L.ha-1, aldicarb 150G 12 kg.ha-1 and control, all with and without filter cake (30 t.ha-1). The population of P. brachyurus was evaluated at two, four, six and eight months after planting. The yield of sugarcane was also evaluated at the end of the first harvest. Effect of treatments on nematode population was observed two, four and six months after planting, but only aldicarb treatment showing efficiency to reduce nematode population. Abamectim and neem oil did not show consistent nematicide effect, sometimes developing higher population than the control. The filter cake showed effect on P. brachyurus population only at six months after planting, even though plots treated with filter cake presented 10 t.ha-1 average yield increase. KEY-WORDS: Nematodes; Azadirachta indica; control; ilter cake.